Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khon Kaen and Bangkok

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $608 a month against $1,125 in Bangkok, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bangkok
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Bangkok Living Index

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Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$608

/mo nomad

Bangkok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Khon Kaen and in Bangkok

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Khon Kaen and in Bangkok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Khon Kaen versus $1,125 in Bangkok.

Khon Kaen $608
Bangkok $1,125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,024 in Khon Kaen versus $1,837 in Bangkok.

Khon Kaen $1,024
Bangkok $1,837

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,440 in Khon Kaen versus $2,549 in Bangkok.

Khon Kaen $1,440
Bangkok $2,549

Living in Khon Kaen costs roughly 46% less than in Bangkok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Khon Kaen 55% lower, Bangkok 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿103

$2.90 ฿98.0

4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.92 ฿1,010

$35.48 ฿1,198

-15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ฿200

$7.37 ฿249

-19.54%

Cappuccino

$1.46 ฿49.36

$2.73 ฿92.2

-46.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ฿19.82

$0.67 ฿22.74

-11.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.82

$0.32 ฿10.95

-9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ฿58.0

$2.63 ฿88.8

-34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 ฿227

$4.54 ฿153

48.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿62.3

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ฿49.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ฿29.14

$1.41 ฿47.58

-39.01%

Eggs

$2.47 ฿83.5

$2.60 ฿87.9

-5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 ฿584

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ฿120

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 ฿125

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.72 ฿58.2

-49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.74 ฿92.5

-45.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ฿66.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ฿56.5

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.51 ฿50.8

-0.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ฿20.84

$1.27 ฿42.85

-51.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.70

$0.50 ฿16.95

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 ฿162

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 ฿502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.84 ฿62.1

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ฿109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.37 ฿1,194

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿35.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿40.57

$1.20 ฿40.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 ฿206

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿44.67

$1.43 ฿48.27

-7.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.6K ฿1.5M

$30.8K ฿1.0M

44.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿895.7K

$26.9K ฿907.2K

-1.27%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.7 ฿3,195

$109 ฿3,666

-12.84%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.99 ฿607

$14.94 ฿504

20.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 ฿1,003

$18.05 ฿609

64.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ฿2,008

$56.3 ฿1,899

5.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 ฿623

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ฿197

$7.46 ฿252

-21.58%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$802 ฿27.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,970 ฿302.7K

$17.0K ฿572.9K

-47.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.04 ฿1,014

$71.5 ฿2,415

-58.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.83 ฿1,176

$42.12 ฿1,421

-17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 ฿2,489

$97.1 ฿3,277

-24.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ฿3,055

$107 ฿3,602

-15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ฿9,445

$713 ฿24.1K

-60.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ฿5,264

$347 ฿11.7K

-55.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.6K

$2,219 ฿74.9K

-67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ฿16.2K

$820 ฿27.7K

-41.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,948 ฿200.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,151 ฿106.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ฿20.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$347 30.9%

Groceries & Markets

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$271 24.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$143 12.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$142 12.6%

Eating Out

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$104 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$71 6.3%

Getting Around

Khon Kaen

–

Bangkok

$47 4.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Khon Kaen and $713 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Khon Kaen vs $35 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $45 vs $271 per month, with Khon Kaen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Bangkok

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

Same time as Khon Kaen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,459

5,666,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Khon Kaen Bangkok 390 km

From you

Khon Kaen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Khon Kaen vs Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $608 in Khon Kaen and $1,125 in Bangkok, so Khon Kaen is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $913 in Khon Kaen and $1,687 in Bangkok to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Khon Kaen versus $713 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Khon Kaen – a meal for two runs $30 versus $35 in Bangkok. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $608 per month in Khon Kaen versus $1,125 in Bangkok – Khon Kaen is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $608 in Khon Kaen versus $1,125 in Bangkok, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khon Kaen but tight or insufficient in Bangkok. The gap between the two cities makes Khon Kaen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Khon Kaen and Bangkok are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.